10 Greatest Covers of Iron Maiden Songs [Watch]

Iron Maiden's presence is felt across all of heavy metal, from acts who have followed in their footsteps, relying on triumphant twin guitar harmonies and Steve Harris' charging gallop, to those existing in the extreme corners who have never lost sight of the genre's heritage. They're one of the most universally respected bands and held with such god-like reverence that covering any of their songs presents a daunting challenge.

There's really two options a band has in front of them when approaching a cover: make it your own or do your best to match it exactly. Opening this Loud List is Swedish black metal outfit Lord Belial, who rack up the BPMs on "The Trooper" with searing vocal shrieks that trail off line by line. Testament thrash up "Powerslave" and Cradle of Filth add their spin on one of Maiden's most hallowed tracks, giving a diverse feel to songs we've heard hundreds of times and will hear hundreds of times more.

When it comes to sticking as close to the original as possible, there's no band more capable of handling the task than the perfectionists in Dream Theater. Some bands even manage to nail Bruce Dickinson's operatic, slightly nasal-toned timbre, which instantly cements the cover among the best.

We're not here to spoil everything in the list, so turn your attention to the video at the top, crack a Trooper beer and take a listen to the 10 Greatest Covers of Iron Maiden songs.